Crowning glory: Utah Tech’s Trailblazer Queen Pageant shines with talent, tradition

Written by Bridger Palmer
April 11, 2024

ST. GEORGE — On Tuesday night, the Main Stage Theater at the Eccles Fine Arts Center was ablaze with the talent of 26 Utah Tech University students as they competed for the coveted title of Trailblazer Queen. Part of Utah Tech’s D-Week, the pageant has roots that date back to 1922.

Technical difficulties didn’t stop Jimena Roque from performing on her keyboard, St. George, Utah, April 9, 2024 | Photo by Bridger Palmer, St. George News

Each year, the competition crowns one queen and five attendants based on criteria such as a private interview, talent, evening wear, an onstage question, academic achievement, written essay, service, and involvement, all before a panel of five judges. This design showcases the school’s commitment to making the campus and wider community a better place says an article about D-Queens through the decade.

One of those judges is Scott Mathie, a professor at Utah Tech. Mathie told St. George News that he has narrowed down his process to two big traits: involvement and service.

“We’re looking for contestants who are not only academically involved on campus but also actively give back and strive to enhance our community,” Mathie said. “It’s about finding the next Trailblazer Queen who embodies these values.”

Early Tuesday morning the judges held private interviews with each of the women where contestants pitched social impact initiatives. The pageant followed that night.

Then they crowned the queen and announced the full court:

2024 Trailblazer Queen  – Allison Park

  • First Attendant – Angel Wood
  • Second Attendant – Sydney Sorensen
  • Third Attendant – Olivia Shoaf
  • Fourth Attendant – Amira Hassan
  • Fifth Attendant  – Nicole Parkin
  • Sixth Attendant – Breonna Bingham 

This is a different list than what was announced at the end of the pageant on Tuesday. The Utah Tech students’ Instagram revealed a “calculation error,” which meant a different queen was erroneously announced on Tuesday, along with another member of the court being absent from it.

“We sincerely apologize for the mistake and any frustration this may cause our contestants and their loved ones,” the post said.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bridger Palmer was born in St. George, Utah, before being raised in the Inland Empire in Southern California. He was inspired to pursue journalism because he was an avid reader of Bill Simmons’ sports and popular culture blog, Grantland. Palmer wrote a screenplay in 2020 and launched his own website, newgrantland.com, shortly thereafter. He worked his way from proofreader to editorial assistant at a weekly newspaper in Redlands, California. He returned to Southern Utah in late 2023.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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